Yorkshire Church Wedding With Tipi Reception

Yorkshire Wedding Photographer

Lucy & Chris got married in Lucy’s home town of Terrington, a cute village about 25 minutes outside of York. I remember arriving the day before and thinking, “wow this place is nice!”. Of course, it helped that the sun was shining, but I can’t help but think this place would look great even on the dreariest of days.

I parked outside the church, and after a quick look around, wandered down to Terrington School, where they were having their tipi reception. You can see for miles across the valley from the school field, and on a hot summers day, it was truly stunning.

Lucy was getting ready in her family home, just a stones throw from the church. I’m a big fan of keeping things local on a wedding day. Being able to walk from place to place means no traffic or parking stress, so this was ideal for me. But selfish agendas aside, it fits the feel of their wedding perfectly. Walking, villages, fields, tipis and long summer days all go hand in hand…

Relaxed Bridal Prep At Home

I arrived in the morning to a warm welcome and quickly settled in. Despite Lucy having the most detailed plan of the day, she was calm and relaxed, in fact, everyone was. Lucy and her bridesmaids were doing their own makeup while Katie from Reflections Hair Design was in charge of hair. The morning went smoothly and I even got chance to catch up with Chris and his Bestmen while they finished off decorating the tipi. Perhaps the key to a relaxed wedding day is planning after all 😉

Village Church Wedding Ceremony

So, after a few group shots, we headed to the church – just two minutes walk down the road. Friends from the village gathered outside the church to offer some last minute best wishes.

Chris’ Bestmen were waiting at the church doors for the bridal party. The bestman walked down the aisle arm in arm with the bridesmaids. I’m assuming this is the case, but by walking down together it gave the impression that Lucy & Chris were surrounded by one big group of friends – and I really liked that.

One of the many things I like about photographing weddings all over the country (rather than just North Wales), is the different traditions that different regions have. In Yorkshire it’s common for the village youths to tie the church gates closed, the groom then has to chuck them a couple of quid, for the gates to be untied. So, that’s always a bit of fun!

Papa Kata Tipi Wedding Reception

Once out of the gates and the congratulations had calmed down, we headed down the lane, through a confetti tunnel, to the tipi and those stunning views!

The afternoon was absolutely perfect, canapés and Pimms in the sunshine, with lawn games and a “selfie flower wall”. Incidentally, I still have dreams about Bears Pantry’s scotch eggs! Crispy outside, warm runny yolk, and tangy brown sauce… Heaven.

The speeches are almost always my favourite part of a wedding. I know that might be a little controversial for a photographer to say, but it’s true. I get to learn so much more about a couple, and I love that. Wedding Photography is a personal business! Plus there are so many reactions and emotions to capture in a short space of time.

All the speeches were brilliant. The perfect balance between banter and sincerity. But one speech stole the show for me… If I ran a “speech of the year” award it would be going to Chris. And that’s saying something because his best men absolutely killed it. It’s very rare for a Groom to make a speech that can take on a Bestman’s speech, but Chris did it. Although, as he went after his Bestmen, he may have had a slight advantage. I’m also not counting the live performance of a song that the Bestmen wrote especially for Chris, as that was a surprise just before their first dance. So, perhaps it should be a draw.

I particularly like Tipi Weddings because they naturally create a relaxed, fun and down-to-earth vibe. They’re also perfect for a good party! And boy did these guys know how to party! Their evening was filled with shots, dance-offs, drunken limbo competitions, crazy dance moves and topped off with a sparkler exit!

Natural, Unposed, Wedding Photography

My style of documentary photography is all about telling a story. It’s a mix of being in amongst the action (without getting in the way) and observing from the sidelines.

All the images you see here, and on my website for that matter, are 100% unposed. Other than the family group shots, the only direction I had on Lucy & Chris’ wedding was asking if they wanted a few photos, just the two of them. They did. So I suggested they take a wander around the field – but that was it.

No awkward posing or forced smiles. I’m not invisible, so I know they knew they were being photographed, but I hope that they were comfortable enough around me that it didn’t matter.

Silent Wedding Movie

Raw, Dirty & Uncut. My Silent Wedding Movies are a fast paced, high action run-through of one of the most important days of your life. They’re made up from the thousands of photographs I take during a wedding and are a great way to relive your wedding – or Lucy & Chris’…